The best resume is one that’s been thoughtfully written to highlight all of your greatest strengths as a candidate. But content isn’t the only important thing to consider when writing your resume. Style is important too. Recruiters often sift through massive amounts of resumes and may spend only a few seconds deciding which ones to take a closer look at. An eye-catching and professional resume template is a must.
Don’t settle for an acceptable resume template with an unimpressive design. To get the right eyes on your resume, you need the best resume template for your career.
The best resume templates are easy to read, formatted appropriately and
can pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS) without a problem. Using the best resume template will help take the guesswork out of resume formatting and design, giving you more time to focus on landing the role you’ve been dreaming of.
Let’s review the best, highest quality templates on the market.
12 best resume templates
TThere are thousands of resume templates available online, but only a handful deserve to be the best. To save you time and research, we’ve put together a list of the top resume templates in our library.
We’ve identified the top 12 best resume templates in our library. These premium designs are among the most popular, each one offering unique benefits to job seekers. However, if you’re looking for plug-and-play resumes for specific software programs, we also offer free downloadable Microsoft Word templates and Google Doc templates to use as you’d like.
Okay, let’s look closely at the best resume templates to use in 2024.
1. Patterns
Stylish and unique, Patterns is easily one of the most popular and best resume templates for creative roles due to the colorful and engaging patterns on the left side of the page. This template uses a striking Arial font to create a crisp, clean look and a colored box around the contact info to help it stand out. The pop of color on the left side adds character to the document, but the important sections — the text where your qualifications are listed — are kept tidy and professional.
This resume template is best for:
- Graphic designers
- Art directors
- Fashion designers
2. Excerpt
Another fun, eye-catching design that’s popular in creative career fields, the Excerpt template puts the candidate’s name in a quote bubble. The striking solid-color header is balanced by a simple, two-column layout. And, it’s easy to add more sections, such as an area to promote websites and portfolios. The speech bubble evokes communication, making this resume a great choice for customer-facing roles.
This resume template is best for:
- Hair stylists
- Social media managers
- Illustrators
3. Unique
This commanding resume template is one of the best resume templates of 2024 thanks to the crisp lines demarcating the contact info, job seeker initials and resume sections. The two-column design is very clean and easy to read. The judicious use of color in the header and left column ensure that the overall design really pops.
This resume template is best for:
- Nurse practitioners
- Drivers
- Software engineers
4. Timeless
Creative and unique templates are fun, but many roles require a more understated and professional template. Timeless is a single-column resume design that sticks with the basics and gives the candidate a lot of space to highlight their skills, work experience and professional summary. While the style is pared down, the header is centered and includes an insignia to accentuate the applicant’s name.
This resume template is best for:
- Business operations managers
- Paralegals
- Pharmacy technicians
5. Monogram
The Monogram is the best resume template for candidates looking to strike a balance between a simple professional resume template and one with lots of personality. In terms of creativity, the Monogram template sets contact information to the left side, giving it a splash of color for emphasis. Nonetheless, the remaining resume sections come with no frills, stacked one on top of the other on the right. The result is a resume that features an engaging visual design that doesn’t distract from what’s important.
This resume template is best for:
- Art teachers
- Copywriters
- Dance instructors
6. Crisp
While this template is classic, it’s anything but boring. It may look bare bones, but the Crisp resume template has two unique design choices that help it stand out as one of the best resume templates of 2024. First, all of the information is centered, making it very easy to scan from top to bottom. Second, the candidate name and section headers are a different font style than the rest of the resume.
This resume template is best for:
- Human resources managers
- Communications specialists
- Pharmacists
7. Zinnia
Zinnia is another straightforward resume template that’s considered one of the best for its simplicity. Notice how the name and section headers are the same color and tie the page together. With the candidate’s name set to the left side of the page, this makes for a pleasingly streamlined style that’s easy to scan and helps this template stand out as one of the best ATS-friendly resume templates of 2024.
This resume template is best for:
- Accountants
- Office managerss
- Computer programmers
8. Logo
One of the best resume templates in the Modern category, Logo features a two-column layout with soft gray lines setting apart the header and section names. In the header itself, the octagon with the candidate’s initials gives the whole document an extra polished look.
This resume template is best for:
- College professors
- Professional assistants
- Child care workers
9. Aster
This template keeps most of the page plain, but its basic layout only serves to make the splashes of color stand out even more. In addition to the color, the candidate’s last name is bolded, perhaps making it a little easier to remember for the hiring manager flipping through the stack. Aside from that flourish, Aster is a clean design.
This resume template is best for:
- Research assistants
- Authors
- Bank tellers
10. Olympic
Olympic is one of our best resume templates. This template features the candidate’s name centered above a single-column design. Color is used sparingly to draw attention to the headers, and the line along the left-hand side of the work history and education sections acts as a timeline that guides the hiring manager’s eye through the candidate’s career story. This is the best resume template for visually demonstrating career progression.
This resume template is best for:
- Real estate agents
- Home health aides
- Store managers
11. Trendy
One of only two best resume templates with a candidate photo that made it to the top 12, Trendy offers an engaging, colorful two-column design. Rather than changing the color of section headers, this template uses shapes to spice up the white space and create a visually sophisticated design. The inclusion of a candidate photograph makes this one of the best resume templates for creative roles where a headshot would be required, such as acting or dancing.
This resume template is best for:
- Actors
- Photographers
- Choreographers
12. Upgrade
We wrap up our 12 best resume templates list with one of the most straightforward designs. Sometimes, simple is just the best way to go. This template gives the classic one-column layout a modern twist. This design offers a perfect forum for showcasing work experience because of its vertical layout and use of color for section headings.
This resume template is best for:
- Cashiers
- Hotel managers
- Food service workers
You will find many more resume templates if you make your document in our AI Resume Builder.
How to choose the best resume template
You may be thinking, “Okay, even if these are the best resume templates, how do I know which one is right for me?” Good question!
The best resume template depends on both your career and the role you’re seeking. There is no single “best resume template,” but there are many options to choose from as you decide for yourself which one is the best resume template for you.
Start by focusing on your industry. Are you looking for a job in a creative field where it helps to stand out? Are you seeking a role in the financial sector where professionalism is paramount? Let your industry guide your decision making as you look at the available styles to find the best resume template for you.
When selecting a design, there are three primary resume template types to remember:
- Simple templates cut to the chase by showcasing a candidate’s work experience, skills and education in a clean, elegant design.
- Modern templates offer a contemporary spin on the resume with stylish fonts, judicious use of color and spacious layouts.
- Creative templates combine uncommon color and design choices to surprise and delight the recruiter.
Ultimately, you should choose the template type that works best for your career. For example, simple and professional layouts are ideal for highly professional fields like medicine and law, while a sleek modern template is a strong choice for a role where personal branding is important, like real estate or sales.
Just be sure to pair your best resume template with a cover letter that matches. This is important because your documents should be consistent.
Find the best cover letter template
Make your resume template look even better by including a matching cover letter template. Cover letters are great for setting yourself apart from similarly qualified applicants. Giving your resume and cover letter matching designs will make you even more impressive.
Here’s how to find and use an appropriate cover letter template:
- Choose a cover letter template that matches your resume.
- Make sure the cover letter formatting is also the same.
- Read a cover letter writing guide and review cover letter examples to ensure your content is stellar.
- Turn your cover letter into a PDF and merge it with your resume file.
FAQ
Last Updated: January 24, 2024
Whichever template you choose, we recommend setting it up in a reverse-chronological resume format. Among the three resume formats, chronological places the greatest emphasis on work history, recounting highlights from each job beginning with your most recent one. We suggest picking a template that’s appropriate for your industry, then reading the chronological resume format guide as you fill it out. That way, you’ll make the most of the template.
There is no single answer to this question, but we hope that the options in our collection make the cut as one of the best free resume templates for you. If you want to explore options out in the wild, look for the best Microsoft Word template or Google Doc template for your career. These free templates are colorful, well-designed and just as professional as anything you’ll see in a paid template. Simply download the Word Docs or open a Google Doc in your browser and customize it to your liking.
Employers prefer resumes with simple, easy-to-read designs. That’s why the chronological resume, which emphasizes work history above all else, is so popular with recruiters and hiring managers. They love to see a clear career trajectory, including the top achievements for each position, laid out in a concise fashion. While chronological is best for most people, a handful of job seekers would be better served by the alternative skills-based resume format, particularly candidates who lack a work history.
If you're wondering what a resume should look like in 2024, start with this: it should be professionally designed and easy to read. The recruiter must be able to scan every section — work history, summary, skills — and understand the candidate’s selling point. The resume should also be formatted to bypass an employer’s applicant tracking system (ATS). The best ATS resume templates are designed to be ATS-friendly and tend to avoid over-the-top design elements, unusual fonts and complicated formatting. Templates with simple layouts are easier for ATS to parse.
Hailey Brophy is an experienced writer with a diverse career in digital publication. She is passionate about using her unique skills and experiences to help job seekers find the information that they need to succeed.
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